Your Weight-Loss Solution: Walk for Weight Loss

YOUR DAILY DIET TIP

Here’s a simple weight-loss secret: Walking is something that you do every day without thinking about it. But if you wear a pedometer while you’re doing it, it can become a fat-burning exercise.

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that an informal walking exercise program guided by a pedometer results in weight loss, even without dietary interventions. Another study, from the Annals of Family Medicine, concluded that wearing a pedometer is associated with losing weight and longer-duration pedometer-based walking programs associated with more weight loss.

The pedometer encourages you to walk with a daily goal in mind. In fact, according to the JAMA study, pedometer wearers walk nearly 2,500 steps more per day than people without a pedometer. That’s more than a mile!

Conceived by the Romans, imagined by Leonardo da Vinci and invented by Thomas Jefferson, the pedometer counts the number of steps a person takes by detecting hip motion. Originally recognized for their potential military applications, pedometers are used today primarily for fitness purposes. Experts generally recommend a daily goal of 10,000 steps for optimal results. Having a daily goal – and keeping a step diary to record it – would be a great addition to your program.

Pedometers are about the size of a pager and are simple to use. Wearing one can quickly be incorporated into your life. Simple pedometers can be found in any sporting goods store. Pedometer applications are available for the iPhone, and digital pedometers like the Fitbit Tracker and Philips DirectLife Activity Monitor may appeal to the more technologically savvy. Digital pedometers may be more expensive, but they have fun features that may be worth the money.